Steering-gear for motor-sleighs.



' P. H. SM|TH. STEERING GE AR FOR MOTOR SLEIGHS APPLICATION FILED JAN- 4, 191a.

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P. H. SMITH. STEERING GEAR FOB MOTOR SLEIGHS.

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Patented Apr. 17 1917.

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STEERING-GEAR FOR MOTOR-SLEIGHS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 17, 1917.

Original application filerl March 27, 1915, Serial 110. 1 7,399. Divided and this application filed January 4,

1916. Serial No. 70,312.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, PETER H. SMITH, a subject of the King of Great Britain, re,- siding at Lougheed, in the Province of Alberta and Dominion of Canada, have invented new and useful Improvements in Steering-Gear for Motor-Sleighs, of which the following is a specification. i i

-This invention relates to motor sleighs and constitutes a division of the subject matter embodied in my patent for a motor sleigh No. 1,17 3,883, dated Feb. 29, 1916.

The main object of the present invention is to provide in connection with the runners and particularly the front runners of a mo- With the above. and other objects in view,

the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as herein described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a motor sleigh embodying the presentinvention.

Fig. 2 is a' top plan view thereof partly broken away.

Fig. 3 is a'central vertical longitudinal section through the same.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the sleigh partly broken away.

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross section 'on the line 55 of Fig. 1.,

Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section through one of the front runners.

Fig. 7 is a vertical cross section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6. v I V Fig. 8 is a perspective viewiof theifin depressing means. 7 i i As shown i Figs. 1 and 2, the motor sleigh comprises a frame or body A hereinafter referred to in the main as the body of the sleigh, it being understood that the part A which is shown merely in the form of a substantially rectangular frame may constitute the body of the machine or a support sents a platform or floor adjacent to the operators seat and fastened to the frame or bodyA. The motor or engine is conventionally indicated at E. A

The front runners B are pivotally connected at 1 to the opposite end of a front body bolster 2 to turn on substantially vertical axes for the purpose of steering the sleigh and in order to enable each of the front runners to rock in a fore and aft direction, each of said runners is provided with a hollow knee 3 in which the adjacent end of the truck bolster is, received, the top wall 4 of said knee being formed with a fore and aft slot 5 which receives the upper end of the pivot pin 1, 6 designating a strap secured to the top, edge ofthe truck bolster,

extending over the tops of the knees 3 and The forward extremities of the front runners are connected by a bar or yoke -7 having a ointed connection at its opposite ends with said runners, each of which is provided I with a slotted clip 8 to receive the adjacent end of theyoke 7 said parts being pivotally connected together by a pin 9, the joint at the pin 9 being sufficiently loose to allow j the forward extremity of one runner to rise and fall without affecting the other runner, while at the same time permitting the runners to be swung to the right or to the left for the purpose of steering the sleigh.

The running gear comprises a reach bar 10 extending centrally and longitudinally in a rearward direction from the front truck bolster which is formed with a hole 11 in which the cross-sectionally round forward tened at 15 to the front cross bar 16 of the if frame or body A.

Fronthounds 20 are flexibly attached at their forward extremities to the front truck bolster 2 by means of clips 21 in connection with which horizontal pivots 22 are eniployed to allow for a certain amount of flexibility between said hounds and bolster. The front hounds 2O converge rearwardly and are fixedly secured to a block or bearing member 23 formed with a bearing opening adapting said block to turn on the reach bar 10, the latter being round in cross section where it passes through the block 23. By the means described, the front hounds have a swiveled mounting in relation to the rear hounds thus permitting the front and rear trucks to rock freely with relation to each other laterally of the sleigh. The flexibility between the front and rear trucks is thus obtained without perceptibly increasing or diminishing the distancebetween the engine or motor E and the rear driving axle and thereby in any way disturbing or impairing the efficiency of the transmission and differential gearing. The forward part of the body or frame A is fastened to a body bolster 24 which is formed as shown in Fig. 5 with upwardly diverging lower'faces adapting the bolster 24 to rock upon the truck bolster 2 to which it is pivotally connected at 25. Thus the front runners may rise and fallor rock in a fore and aft direction without disturbing the horizontality of the body or frame of the sleigh.

The mechanism for swinging the front runners to eitherside for steering the sleigh, embodies a steering post 53 provided at its upper end with the usual hand control wheel 54 and having fast thereon below the platform'or floor -D a pinion 55 which meshes with a relatively large gear 56 on an upright shaft 57 journaled in a bearing 58 under the platform and having its lower end supported by a hanger 59 secured at its extremities to the body or frame A. The lower extremity of the steering shaft 53 is stepped or journaled in astrap 6O fastened at one end to'the hanger 59 and at its forward end with a front body bolster 2. A steering rod 61 has one end connected'to the large gear 56 and the other extremity connected to a link or connecting rod 62 which is pivotally attached at its opposite extremi ties to arms 63 extending from the knees 3 as best shown in Figs. 5 and 6. This enables both of the front runners to be simultaneously turned.

Each of the front runners is providedwith a longitudinally extending slot or recess 64: therein as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 and in said slot there is mounted a movable fin 65 pivotally mounted adjacent to its front end as shown at '66. Extending upwardly from the fin 65 is a standard or plunger 67 the upper end of which is reduced and extended through a guide opening 68 in the top of the to press downwardly on the standards 67 in P order to correspondingly depress the fins 65 so that they will cut into the road surface and enable the front runners to effectively steer the sleigh, preventing said runners from skidding or sliding laterally. The

means for depressing and flexing the spring bar 70 comprisesamanually operable lever 71, the lower arm of which beneath the floor or platform D is connected to one arm of a lever 72 fulcrumed between its ends at 73 on the body bolster 2 and carrying at the extremity of its other arm a roller 74.-. When the operator desires to use the fins, he nianipulates the lever 71 so as to depress the roller 74, causing said roller to depress the central portion of the spring bar 70 and thereby depress the fins 65 by means of the standards 67, although depressed, the fins 65 upon coming in contact with a hard object or surface are permitted to yield upwardly and house themselves within the front runners by the yielding action of the flexible spring bar 7 0. In steering, the spring bar 70 moves longitudinally under the depressing roller 74, the latter serving to prevent wear on the bar 70.

Tubular mud and snow shields '85 extend upwardly from the main body of the front runners and inclose thestandards or plungers 67 as shown in Figs. '6 and 7.

l/Vhen the driver desires'to steer or turn the machine tothe right orleft, he depresses the fins of the front runnersby means within his reach, as hereinabove particularly described. He then turns the runners in the desired direction by means of the hand steering wheel. Furthermore, by reason of the construction described, the front and rear sets-of runners may freely rock transversely of the body and independently of each other and each of the runners is adapted to rock in a fore and aft direction independently of the remainingrunners. Thus "the runners are adapted to accommodate themselves to all inequalities in the road surface without aflecting the horizontality of the frame or body supported thereby.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a motor sleigh, a front truck bolster to which the front runners are pivotally connected to turn on substantially vertical axes, means for turning said front runners, depressible fins carried by the latter, and manually controlled yieldable means for depressing said fins.

2. In a motor -sleigh,-a front truckbolster to which the front runners arepivotally connec'ted to turn on substantially vertical axes, means for turning said front runners, de-

pressible fins carried by the latter, and manually controlled means for depressing said fins.

3. In a motor sleigh, a front truck bolster to which the front runners are pivotally connected to turn on substantially vertical axes, means for turning said front runners, depressible fins carried by the latter, standards rising from said fins, and a spring bar terminally engaging said standards to permit the latter to move upwardly and downwardly.

4:. In a motor sleigh, a front truck bolster to which the front runners are pivotally connected to turn on substantially vertical axes, means for turning said front runners, depressible fins carried by the latter, standards rising from said fins, a spring bar terminally engaging said standards to permit the latter to move upwardly and downwardly, and manually controlled means for flexing said spring between the ends thereof.

5. In a motor sleigh, a front truck bolster Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

to which the front runners are pivotally connected to turn on substantially vertical axes,

I means for turning said front runners, de-

turning the front runners, fins carried by the.

runners and yieldable in relation thereto, and manually controlled means for depressing said fins while permitting them to yield.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PETER H. SMITH.

Witnesses:

PERRY A. SHAW, Gno. W. POTTER.

Washington, D. O. 

